In the studio with the "Orchester der Kulturen"

How the recordings for "A World Symphony" came about

Orchester der Kulturen

Orchester der Kulturen & Photographer Marc Schäfer

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Founded in 2010 in Stuttgart, the "Orchestra of Cultures" is a globally unique orchestra that combines classical symphonies and stirring rhythms with ethnic instruments and singers from all over the world to create a new musical sound experience.  

 The leitmotif of musically uniting cultures from all over the world leads to an absolutely new, unprecedented listening experience by combining the most diverse instruments and sound colors, and has opened the door for the orchest

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Adrian Werum - artistic director

"Everything great is put to the test in the details”
“Be embraced, millions“, as Schiller so beautifully says, can only be achieved by taking the individual seriously.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

The recordings for the CD "A World Symphony"

"A World Symphony", the latest recording of the orchestra, will be officially released in the summer of 2021. For each piece, the orchestra was divided into several ensembles - so that the optimal sound could be achieved for each sub-ensemble, the recording sessions took place in three phases. Take a look over the musicians' shoulders in the different studios!

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

First stage: Recording with the band in the Sandhausen studio

The band recordings and the ethnic instrument recordings took place at Kleinen Audiowelt in Heidelberg-Sandhausen. The music production network in the "Alte Zigarrenfabrik" building was founded in 1980 in Sandhausen near Heidelberg as "Tonstudio van Geest" and is now one of the largest privately run recording studios in Germany.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Latin & Oriental Percussion, Cajon & Gitarre, Tonmeister Markus Born

Alte Zigarrenfabrik by Jakob MorschewskyOrchester der Kulturen

The property was purchased by renowned sound engineer Teije van Geest and cellist Gisela Reith-van Geest in 1980 and completely converted into a recording studio. Steel beams were used in the basement to stabilize the heavy, newly installed and double-walled sand-lime brick walls. The ground floor was expanded to 1000 square feet, remodeled and acoustically optimized.



The three upper floors were converted into apartments and the basement was used to store machinery and band materials. The dry sandstone walls in the basement provided an optimal climate for the storage of tapes.. Some are still in excellent condition today, 35 years later.

Upon going into retirement, Teije van Geest sold the building to Christian Stader. In 2016, after restructuring and remodeling (completely new house wiring / SSL direction, new rooms, complete remodeling of the apartment and the basement) all units and studio rooms were brought together under the label "altezigarrenfabrik".



Since the founding years, the multiple Grammy-nominated sound engineer Günter Appenheimer is still on board, spanning more than 50 years from analogue through digital audio production, to the young engineers Chris Gajny and Tobias Schirmann, or the producers Jens Schneider and Dennis Keil. In 2014, graduate sound engineer Daniel Deboy and sound engineer Elena Klinova joined  the team and took her place in the new control rooms 9 and 10.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Highlights of the rehearsal :)

Das Hans-Rosbaud-Studio by SWROrchester der Kulturen

Second stop: In the Hans Rosbaud Studio at SWR  

In the early 1950s, Südwestfunk was given a new production and broadcasting center on the so-called "Funkhöhe" (Radio hill) in Baden-Baden. Among the first buildings to be completed was the "Music Studio," which went into operation in November 1950 and was officially inaugurated on November 26, 1950. 
There, in Baden-Baden, the classical orchestra recordings for "A World Symphony" were made.

Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks im Hans-Rosbaud-Studio by SWROrchester der Kulturen



The Hans Rosbaud Studio made it possible to produce and broadcast recordings under the best conditions in two studios (Studio 5 for orchestral music and Studio 6 for chamber music). Under its principal conductors Hans Rosbaud, Ernest Bour and Kazimierz Kord, the Südwestfunk Symphony Orchestra produced numerous recordings in Studio 5 and also gave regular public concerts.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

For orchestral recordings, our classical musicians, under the direction of Adrian Werum, were able to experience the excellent recording conditions of the historic Hans Rosbaud Studio in Baden Baden.

Das Hans-Rosbaud-Studio by SWROrchester der Kulturen

From the 1950s, the legendary Südwestfunk jazz editor Joachim-Ernst Berendt used the studio for his broadcast series "Jazztime Baden-Baden". In recent years, however, for fire safety reasons, the Hans Rosbaud Studio could no longer be used as a gathering place.

Das Hans-Rosbaud-Studio by SWROrchester der Kulturen

As Südwestrundfunk builds a new media center on the "Funkhöhe", the old buildings, built in the 1950s in a pavilion structure, are gradually demolished. The Hans Rosbaud Studio will be used for music productions until the move to the new media center space. Demolition of the Hans Rosbaud Studio is scheduled for 2024.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
,
Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
,
Aufnahmen "A World Symphony", Marc Schäfer, From the collection of: Orchester der Kulturen
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Highlights of the orchestral recordings with the strings!

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Third stop: Back at the Old Cigar Factory

The last recording sessions were with the world music instruments. These included numerous exotic instruments that make up the orchestra's special timbre - such as the didgeridoo played by Frank Heinkel.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Erhu - Chinese violin  

Chiao-Hua Chang 张巧骅




The erhu (Chinese 二胡) is a two-stringed bowed tubular spit lute used in Chinese music. 

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Kora - African harp

Kandara Diabate

The kora is a West African bridge harp plucked with both hands, also classified as a harp lute.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Pipa - Chinese lute

Lucy Zhao 赵路曦

The pipa (琵琶), one of the most popular Chinese instruments, is a plucked shell-neck lute used in traditional Chinese music.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Duduk - Armenian flute

Taylan Acar

The duduk (Armenian դուդուկ) is a woodwind instrument with an extremely large double reed, up to ten centimeters long and up to three centimeters wide.

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Mar SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

Dulcimer

Andreas Kerber


The dulcimer is a type of box zither whose strings are struck with hammers. Here Andreas plays a dulcimer from the alpine region. 

Aufnahmen "A World Symphony" by Marc SchäferOrchester der Kulturen

More information about the CD can be found on our website:

 www.orchesterderkulturen.de

Credits: Story

Photographer: Marc Schäfer; Studio Kleine Audiowelt in Heidelberg-Sandhausen; 
 The Hans Rosbaud Studio of SWR in Baden Baden

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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